Tostones con … peanut sauce?

Written by biscuit on August 16, 2008 – 3:49 pm -

Oh, to hell with grading, cleaning up puppy vomit, mowing and putting up the produce I bought this morning. I want to talk about tostones.

In particular, I want to talk about the taste treat that burst into my coughmenudoedcough brain earlier today: plantains with peanut sauce. Which has evolved into tostones with peanut sauce.

But I’m up the mainland without an oar. I have my guesses, but who knows how’d they go? Sure, the peanut sauce will be easy — I’ve made it way too many times to have it fail me now. The tostones, however, are another matter.

maracatu, where are you? I need a tostone lesson!


Posted in Food, Recipes |

11 Comments

  • At 2008.08.16 15:59, biscuit said:

    TOSTONES!!! ::shakes fist at sky::

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    • At 2008.08.16 16:37, Kate Petersen said:

      :: has visions of Scarlett O’Hara and turnips, for some odd reason ::

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      • At 2008.08.16 17:21, biscuit said:

        Somehow, tostones seems like just the right word to bellow to the skies … :lol:

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    • At 2008.08.16 18:00, Scotia48 said:

      Biscuit,

      TOSTONES!! TOSTONES!! TOSTONES!!

      You need to try tostones on a bed of refried black beans with a sour creme sauce drizzled on top.
      Plantains skins need to be black before peeling and cooking. They get sweeter and softer the blacker they get. I don’t like them too soft, so maybe a medium black is right? I sautee mine in a little olive oil, then lightly salt and serve with the above.

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      • At 2008.08.16 18:49, biscuit said:

        thank you, Scotia!

        I’m making this for dinner tomorrow night - your advice will make it much easier.

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        • At 2008.08.16 18:58, Scotia48 said:

          Biscuit,
          I learned alot from the “Cha Cha Cha Cookbook” I have. The olive oil and sea salt is MY take on cooking this dish. I like the sweet savory taste. Sometimes I’ll add some spices to the black beans. You can also use canned black beans and add oil and spices and savories to it.

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          • At 2008.08.16 19:17, biscuit said:

            I’m probably going to saute til crisp, then serve with a peanut sauce, in part because that’s what my heart’s - ? - longing for, but also because I don’t have any black beans. :lol:

            This is so much more entertaining than reading language learning theories.

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        • At 2008.08.16 20:50, Maracatu said:

          Hold it! You’ve got it wrong!

          Tostones are made with GREEN “unripe” plantains, not the mature (yellow or brown/black skins)

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          • At 2008.08.16 21:17, biscuit said:

            NOOOOOOOO!!!! The plantains I have are nearly black.

            ::wipes tear from eye::

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            • At 2008.08.17 11:51, Maracatu said:

              You can make Piñon. Here is another and a third.

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              • At 2008.08.17 13:09, biscuit said:

                I like the third one, and I have almost all the ingredients for it here … with some adaptations:

                Eg, chopped buffalo for ground beef (I have a surplus of buffalo right now, esp. an arm roast that I cooked several days ago and have been worrying over what to do with - I got it from a different source than my usual, and it’s not very good plain eating, so I was planning on using it for a stew anyway).

                And no green bell pepper, although I have some very nice anchos I might slip in there.

                Here’s the recipe for the curious:

                PUERTO RICAN BEEF PLANTAIN OMELET (PINON)

                3 very ripe plantains
                oil for frying
                1 onion; chopped
                1/2 green pepper, chopped
                2 cloves garlic
                1/2 lb ground beef (optional)
                1/4 cup tomato sauce
                1 tbsp capers (optional)
                1 tbsp sliced green olives (optional)
                1 salt and pepper
                1/2 lb green beans, fresh or frozen, cut in 3
                6 eggs
                salt and pepper (to taste)
                1/4 cup butter, divided use
                hot cooked rice and beans (optional, to serve)

                Peel the plantains, cut into 2-inch thick lengthwise slices. Fry in oil till golden brown. Remove, drain, and keep warm.

                In a frying pan, saute the onion, green pepper, and garlic in oil until soft but not brown.

                Add the ground beef and fry at high heat for 3 minutes.

                Pour in the tomato sauce and add the capers and olives, if desired. Cook 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

                Steam the green beans till tender.

                Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

                Beat the eggs, adding salt and pepper to taste.

                Butter the sides and bottom of a round casserole and melt the remaining butter in the bottom. Pour in *half* of the beaten eggs and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute or until slightly set.

                Cover the eggs with one-third of the plantain slices, following with layers of half the ground meat and half the string beans. Add another layer of plantains, the remainder of the ground beef, another layer of beans, and top with plantains.

                Pour the rest of the beaten eggs over the top. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, uncovered, being careful not to let the omelette burn.

                Then place in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes to brown the top of the pinon.

                Serve with rice and beans, or alone.

                Servings 4
                Adapted from unknown source

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